Introduction
Alcohol use is an established determinant of disability and death globally.1–3 In the extensive literature on various health effects of alcohol, the weight of the evidence is on illness and death. Correspondingly, in the area of mental health, the effects of alcohol on mental disorders such as depression have been more extensively studied than effects on positive mental health and subjective well-being. Positive mental health has been described as the ‘foundation for well-being and effective functioning for both the individual and the community’ and defined as a state ‘which allows individuals to realise their abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and make a contribution to their community’.4